# Laundry: Clothes or detergent first?



## dustin

What is the purpose of putting the liquid laundry detergent in before the clothes? (Assuming this is for top loading washer)

I understand if you are using powdered detergent to put the detergent in first, that way you don't have pieces of unmixed detergent on your clothes...

Isn't that the same as putting the egg in the bowl first, then adding the pancake mix? It all gets mixed up in end right?


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## Cowgirl

I usually put detergent in first, and let a little water run in the machine.  I guess I feel like it mixes better.  But I don't freak out if I forget and have to put detergent in last.


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## migtig

dustin said:


> What is the purpose of putting the liquid laundry detergent in before the clothes? (Assuming this is for top loading washer)
> 
> I understand if you are using powdered detergent to put the detergent in first, that way you don't have pieces of unmixed detergent on your clothes...
> 
> Isn't that the same as putting the egg in the bowl first, then adding the pancake mix? It all gets mixed up in end right?



Sometimes the detergent "dyes" the fabric if it directly hits the clothing - depends on the detergent, clothing material, etc.  

I always go by the premise, better safe than sorry, and allow my detergent to be mixed up and diluted before adding clothing.


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## mAlice

migtig said:


> Sometimes the detergent "dyes" the fabric if it directly hits the clothing - depends on the detergent, clothing material, etc.
> 
> I always go by the premise, better safe than sorry, and allow my detergent to be mixed up and diluted before adding clothing.




I've never had that happen, but I agree with "better safe than sorry".  I use liquid but I've always put the detergent in and let it dilute a little before putting in clothes.


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## Larry Gude

*Turn...*

...on water, add detergent, add blue jeans, socks, sweatshirts, boots, dishes, cats...


ALWAYS add detergent before the stuff. Detergent last leaves spots on the spoons.


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## K_Jo

Larry Gude said:


> ...on water, add detergent, add blue jeans, socks, sweatshirts, boots, dishes, cats...
> 
> 
> ALWAYS add detergent before the stuff. Detergent last leaves spots on the spoons.


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## MMDad

dustin said:


> What is the purpose of putting the liquid laundry detergent in before the clothes? (Assuming this is for top loading washer)
> 
> I understand if you are using powdered detergent to put the detergent in first, that way you don't have pieces of unmixed detergent on your clothes...
> 
> Isn't that the same as putting the egg in the bowl first, then adding the pancake mix? It all gets mixed up in end right?



Just do it the way Nickel told you to. Don't try to analyze it. You cannot win. Even if you have scientific proof on your side, the wife is always right.


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## desertrat

dustin said:


> What is the purpose of putting the liquid laundry detergent in before the clothes? (Assuming this is for top loading washer)
> 
> I understand if you are using powdered detergent to put the detergent in first, that way you don't have pieces of unmixed detergent on your clothes...
> 
> Isn't that the same as putting the egg in the bowl first, then adding the pancake mix? It all gets mixed up in end right?



I never even knew you were supposed to do it that way. I always just threw in the clothes and sloshed in some detergent. 

I don't separate colors either.


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## Nanny Pam

liquid detergent, then clothes.


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## vraiblonde

I put the clothes in first, THEN the detergent.  I've always done it this way and never had a mishap.

But I do sort colors from lights.


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## jenbengen

dustin said:


> What is the purpose of putting the liquid laundry detergent in before the clothes? (Assuming this is for top loading washer)
> 
> I understand if you are using powdered detergent to put the detergent in first, that way you don't have pieces of unmixed detergent on your clothes...
> 
> Isn't that the same as putting the egg in the bowl first, then adding the pancake mix? It all gets mixed up in end right?



Clothes in first, liquid detergent next. The water pours directly on the detergent and makes it nice and sudsy. I switched to liquid after the powder wasn't dissolving sometimes and would get yuck on my clothes.


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## lovinmaryland

vraiblonde said:


> I put the clothes in first, THEN the detergent.  I've always done it this way and never had a mishap.
> 
> But I do sort colors from lights.






Watch next time I do laundry the detergent is going to leave spots on something


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## dustin

MMDad said:


> Just do it the way Nickel told you to. Don't try to analyze it. You cannot win. Even if you have scientific proof on your side, the wife is always right.


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## mrweb

I usually add the wife first...don't really know what happens after that.

Actually our washer has a little recepticle thingy that you put soap in, another for softener and a third for bleach.  The washer figures it out after that.


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## vraiblonde

Now that I look, the instructions say to do the detergent first.

It never occurred to me to read the directions on a laundry detergent bottle.  It's like reading the shampoo instructions - who doesn't know how to wash their hair after your Ma showed you how the first or second time?


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## dustin

i'm probably still going to add the detergent last.... (hardheaded) it helps to know how many clothes are in the washer so i know how much detergent to put in.... otherwise i'm flying blind and just putting in whatever amount detergent i feel like... that's my .02.


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## migtig

lovinmaryland said:


> Watch next time I do laundry the detergent is going to leave spots on something



I actually did have it happen once - but I was using rather cheap liquid detergent at the time.  Like I said, I think it depends on detergent and material/fabric.  :shrug:


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## huntr1

I did laundry once after we moved down here.  She then banned me from doing it.  Nothing came out pink.  Don't know anymore why she banned me.


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## Nickel

dustin said:


> i'm probably still going to add the detergent last.... (hardheaded) it helps to know how many clothes are in the washer so i know how much detergent to put in.... otherwise i'm flying blind and just putting in whatever amount detergent i feel like... that's my .02.


Do you feel better now?


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## dustin

Nickel said:


> Do you feel better now?


no i'm still sickly :snot:


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## Nanny Pam

MMDad said:


> Just do it the way Nickel told you to. Don't try to analyze it. You cannot win. Even if you have scientific proof on your side, the wife is always right.



Ahhhhhh....and here, folks, we have a *well trained *husband!


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## MMDad

Nanny Pam said:


> Ahhhhhh....and here, folks, we have a *well trained *husband!



Yes, well trained. I throw my clothes on the floor, and my wife washes them. Can't get trained any better than that!


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## USWWarrior

I throw the dirty clothes in the garbage can and wear new clothes...

water, detergent, clothes...just the way I have always done it, no rhyme, no reason


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## BS Gal

DR is very well trained.  He does his own.....


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## AK-74me

I like to layer it, a little clothes, a little detergent. Repeat.


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## Dymphna

huntr1 said:


> I did laundry once after we moved down here.  She then banned me from doing it.  Nothing came out pink.  Don't know anymore why she banned me.


I don't know why either, but I'm sure you did something stupid.


Tell me something, why is it that when guys are kids/teenagers they learn to hang up their coats, put their shoes in the closet and their clothes in the drawers for fear that mom will But won't do it after they are married?  Even after a good 

Then they go off to college or out on their own and they learn that they have to do their own laundry and dishes and out of self-preservation, learn to do a decent job.

Then they get married and that whole part of their brain shuts down.  They ask dumb questions like "which goes first detergent or clothes?"  They stare blankly at the appliances like they are suddenly going to start up by themselves, load their own dishes, cook the food spontaneously...

When my brother was engaged...a few weeks shy of marriage...he was still living at home.  He was hungry.  I was the only other person there.  I hear my name being yelled from the kitchen.  I go to investigate whatever calamity is unfolding only to see my brother staring at a frozen dinner with a perplexed look on his face.  

"How do I cook this?"

"Um... in the microwave"

"I mean how?" 

"What does the box say?"



I took the box, flipped it over, pointed to the directions.  "What does it say?"

He reads the directions aloud... 

"Open the microwave..(he does) put it in (he does) It says to cook for 3 minutes, so push 3-0-0 (he does) now push start."  Seriously...true story.


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## crabcake

I put half the cup of detergent in the water first, then add clothes, then fill the cup with water and dump, and rinse the cup a few extra times with more water. That way, there's some soap mixing with the water before the clothes go in, and some on top just in case ... in case of what? I don't know ... but it's there just in case.


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## oldman

Come on people.  If you take a shower you have to get wet first before any soaping but IF you could apply the soap first you would.  Doing wash ain't no different.  I say as long as the clothes come out clean what does it matter.


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## vraiblonde

Dymphna said:


> "Open the microwave..(he does) put it in (he does) It says to cook for 3 minutes, so push 3-0-0 (he does) now push start."  Seriously...true story.





I am proud to say that my son is the cook in his household.  Which is good, because he's a slob and DIL has to put up with his crap laying all over the place.


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## crabcake

oldman said:


> Come on people.  If you take a shower you have to get wet first before any soaping but IF you could apply the soap first you would.  Doing wash ain't no different.  I say as long as the clothes come out clean what does it matter.



Guess it's kinda like brushing your teeth ... I bet most folks wet the toothbrush before putting toothpaste on it.


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## Nickel

Dymphna said:


> They ask dumb questions like "which goes first detergent or clothes?"


In Dustin's defense, he is by no means helpless and this detergent before/after conversation is a running joke between us.  I say add it to the water before, he says dump it on top.  I don't care what he does as long as he isn't dumping detergent directly on my clothes (which he doesn't wash anyways).    On this particular day I saw him walk by with a load of whites, and told him not to start yet because I had some that needed to be washed.  I walked in the laundry room and noticed that the clothes were in the washer but the water wasn't on, which meant there was no detergent in the bottom.  I gave him a sweet little smile, said "You know you're supposed to put the detergent in _first_ right?" laughed, and proceeded to turn on the water and dump the detergent on top of the clothes.


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## Cowgirl

crabcake said:


> Guess it's kinda like brushing your teeth ... I bet most folks wet the toothbrush before putting toothpaste on it.



 I do!


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## nightowl

vraiblonde said:


> I put the clothes in first, THEN the detergent.  I've always done it this way and never had a mishap.
> 
> But I do sort colors from lights.



That's how I do it too.  Glad I'm not alone lol.


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## nightowl

MMDad said:


> Yes, well trained. I throw my clothes on the floor, and my wife washes them. Can't get trained any better than that!



Do you leave change in your pockets too?


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## belvak

nightowl said:


> Do you leave change in your pockets too?



 True Story... This summer, the dryer started making an awful noise. I figured the belt was about to go, so had Hubby move it onto the carport so we could look at it good. When he and Daughter's boyfriend went to pick it up change started to fall out all over the floor. We ended up with about $30 in change.  The problem with the noise was a screw he had left in a pocket of his jeans (he gets home first and normally throws his work clothes in). As for the detergent, it goes in with the water before the clothes do. It's just the way I have always done it.


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## Gemmi

Larry Gude said:


> ...on water, add detergent, add blue jeans, socks, sweatshirts, boots, dishes, cats...
> 
> 
> ALWAYS add detergent before the stuff. Detergent last leaves spots on the spoons.


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## SpriteZero

Yup..add Tide with the water, lets it mix and then toss in cloths.
Once I did end up with some pink cloths when a certain child forgot to fully sort her new red tee shirt from the rest of her whites...
Glad she likes pink!!!


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